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Description
The purpose of this funding opportunity is to further strengthen Canadian and international health research in the upstream factors leading to chronic cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and respiratory conditions. Specifically, the Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health (ICRH) of CIHR and its partners will solicit research proposals to address the behavioural, psychological, social and environmental factors important in the effective prevention (both primary and secondary) of chronic diseases, and innovative intervention strategies that can affect outcome.
Background
Cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and respiratory disease affect more Canadians than any other disease cluster. Medical advances have continued to decrease the acute mortality associated with these conditions, but increasing survival has also transformed the medical landscape into a new burden of chronic diseases associated with major economic and human costs. Correspondingly, while life expectancy has increased dramatically over the last century, disability-free life expectancy has not increased proportionately. Effective preventive strategies of end stage complications constitute the major goals for the current health care system, yet traditional preventive programs have had only limited impact to date.
While many of the specific risk factors for these chronic conditions are known, much less is known about the variables that influence behavioural choices relevant to primary and secondary prevention, treatment adherence, and rehabilitation. Other factors that affect these behaviours have not been studied extensively, including: those related to the individual (i.e., sex/gender, age, ethnic/cultural affiliation, socioeconomic status, vulnerability, psychological and personality characteristics related to readiness/motivation for change, disease/treatment beliefs and attitudes, perceived access to health care, perceived costs and benefits of seeking/receiving treatment, risk-taking, choosing immediate versus long-term gratification, and self-efficacy); to the social group (i.e., family size, habitation, or generational residence; religion, cultural norms); and to the community (i.e., built environment, urban/suburban/rural, community planning/design). Further, most previous studies were not paradigm-driven, did not recognize the multiple levels at which interventions are required, and did not appropriately consider health policy as a study end-point.
In addition, we have relatively little understanding of the factors that affect access to health information and that influence decisions about acting on this information. Basic descriptions of some of the phenomena involved are being developed, but there are methodological challenges in moving beyond such descriptions to actually developing interventions appropriate to individuals, groups and communities, and then demonstrating the effectiveness of such interventions.
For the CIHR Institute of Aging (IA), the increase in the proportion of older Canadians creates an extraordinary opportunity to empower people to arrive at older ages in better health and closer to a state of fully realized well-being, as well to develop programs, policies and practices that are relevant and applicable to older individuals. To this end, research and research design should consider the unique biology and physiology of aging and/or the diversity of this population (young-old to oldest-old, vulnerable to healthy, diverse living or care settings).
Part of the Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health (ICRH) mandate is to support research into the causes, mechanisms, prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, support systems, and palliation for a wide range of conditions associated with the heart, lung, brain (stroke), blood vessels, blood, critical and intensive care, and sleep. ICRH provides research support through a growing number of strategic research grants, and capacity building programs.
In March 2007, following consultations with the ICRH community, the Institute Advisory Board identified "Behavioural, Psychological, Social and Environmental Factors Important in the Effective Primary and Secondary Prevention of Cardio/cerebrovascular and Respiratory Diseases" theme as a research priority. Health care providers are conduits for people's access to evidence-based information and therapies regarding primary and secondary prevention for their cardio/cerebrovascular and respiratory diseases. However, the proponents of evidence-based health care have also long acknowledged the role that 'patient preferences' play in health care decision-making (Haynes, RB et al., ACP J Club, 1996). Further, contextual factors such as resource allocations have also been identified in later models (DiCenso, A. et al., Evidence-Based Nurs. 1998). A complex of factors affecting individuals, social groups and the community have a dramatic impact on the uptake of health care-related information and the decisions of individuals as to which actions to take to maintain or recover healthy functioning. Factors related to sex, ethnicity, socioeconomic status and the physical environment (e.g., community, locality) also affect access to the information needed, the basis on which decisions are made to act on this information, and ultimately the capacity for action.
By supporting teams of talented and experienced researchers conducting high-quality research and providing superior research training and mentorship, it is expected that this targeted funding opportunity will lead to the production of new knowledge, and the translation of research findings into improvements in the health of populations and health care systems. Specifically, we look forward to the participation of the community in unravelling the etiological variables that influence the adoption of healthy behaviour, the strategic interventions that will make a difference for the at risk individuals in Canada and internationally.
This funding opportunity is announced under the Strategic Initiative "Psychological, social, behavioural and environmental determinants of at risk behaviour for chronic disease, and means of effective interventions".
Funds Available
CIHR's contribution to the amount available for this initiative is subject to availability of funds voted annually to CIHR by parliamentary appropriations, and the conditions that may be attached to them.
- The total amount available for this initiative is $2,250,000, which includes $450,000 of dedicated funding from the CIHR Institute of Aging for research on older adults and aging. This amount may increase if additional funding partners decide to participate.
- The maximum amount awarded for a single grant is $200,000 per annum for up to 3 years. The equipment amount is awarded in year one.
Partner/Collaborator Participation
CIHR is dedicated to identifying and developing collaborations with other funding organizations and stakeholders to enhance the availability of funding for this strategic initiative, and to create, where appropriate, opportunities for knowledge exchange and translation related to the scope of this particular initiative. Applicants are invited to visit the Partner/Collaborator Description section to find a list of partners/collaborators and their respective mandates and/or strategic interests. This list will continue to evolve as new partners/collaborators join in this initiative. The specific research foci and requirements for each partner/collaborator are outlined in the "Objectives" section.
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Objectives
The specific objectives of this funding opportunity are:
- support research on to further strengthen Canadian and international health research in the upstream factors leading to chronic cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and respiratory conditions.
- encourage innovative research to address the behavioural, psychological, social and environmental factors important in the effective prevention (both primary and secondary) of chronic diseases, and innovative intervention strategies that can affect outcome.
Relevant Research Areas:
The following areas span all four themes of (i) behavioural and psychosocial determinants, (ii) settings, (iii) population health, and (iv) systems:
- Research Area A – Etiology that spans across the four themes of behavioural and psychosocial determinants, settings, population health, and systems. The identification of risk factors and conditions, health promotion factors and conditions, and the mechanisms of underlying processes.
- Research Area B – Intervention Research advancing knowledge on how to decrease incidence in the three disease groups of cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and respiratory. This would include population health policies, strategies, or clinical treatment studies designed to intervene on risk factors, outcomes or specific physical or social environmental dimensions. Canada has already been an international leader in population health interventions in cardiovascular research but needs to continue to develop intervention studies that maintain activity at the forefront of this area.
- Research Area C – Capacity building across all four themes. Capacity-building describes fostering and developing expertise within future generations and in areas or institutions where there is less formal infrastructure to enhance such support.
- Research Area D – Methodology development across all four themes. Methodology refers to the understanding of what methodologies and measurements exist. Canada needs to develop a common set of measures and databases in these areas.
The CIHR Institute of Aging (IA) encourages research in the aged population:
- The aforementioned challenges are often exacerbated or uniquely expressed in the older population in which are found varying status of health, disease and conditions, and different behaviours.
- IA will consider supporting applications that relate directly to the aging process and/or specifically to the health and quality of life of older individuals (generally above the age of 65) and that are relevant to current IA initiatives: (i) Cognitive Impairment in Aging, which includes vascular dementia and stroke, and (ii) Mobility in Aging, which includes biological to rehabilitation to environmental challenges. Research and research design should considers the biology and physiology of aging and/or the aged address issues of aging and/or the aged as essential elements of the objectives, hypotheses and analyses.
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Eligibility
Eligibility criteria for all CIHR research funding programs apply. The business office of the institution of an eligible Nominated Principal Applicant generally administers CIHR funds. Please refer to the Eligibility Requirements for CIHR Grants and Awards regarding the eligibility requirements for individuals and institutions.
Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) will not be considered under this funding opportunity.
Specific Eligibility Requirements
Eligibility requirements specific to this funding opportunity include the following:
- The proposal must be relevant to the ICRH mandate, as found through link in the Description Section.
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Guidelines
This funding opportunity will follow the General Guidelines for Grant Programs. Applicants are encouraged to demonstrate the use of Gender and Sex-Based Analysis in applications.
Allowable Costs
Applicants should review the Use of Grant Funds section of the Tri-Agency (CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC) Financial Administration Guide for a complete listing and description of allowable costs and activities.
The full application must provide a detailed justification of all costs.
Conditions of Funding
All conditions specified in CIHR General Grants and Awards Policies shall apply to applications funded through this Funding opportunity. Conditions cover areas such as Applicant and Institutional Responsibilities, Ethics, Official languages policy, Access to Information and Privacy Acts, and Acknowledgement of CIHR's Support. Successful applicants will be informed of any special financial requirements prior to the release of funds or when they receive CIHR's Authorization for Funding (AFF) document.
Access to Information Act and Privacy Act, and the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA)
All personal information collected by CIHR about applicants is used to review applications, to recruit reviewers, to administer and monitor grants and awards, to compile statistics, and to promote and support health research in Canada. Consistent with these purposes, applicants should also expect that information collected by CIHR may be shared as described in Use and Disclosure of Personal Information Provided to CIHR for Peer Review.
CIHR as a federal entity is subject to the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act, therefore the requirements of these two statutes will apply to all information located in CIHR's premises including, without limitation, cost-sharing agreements related to this Funding opportunity and all matters pertaining thereto.
While respecting the application of the Privacy Act to federal entities, all signing parties involved in a collaborative agreement will also be bound by the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). All personal information (as identified by the PIPEDA) collected, used or disclosed in the course of any commercial activity under collaborative agreements related to the Funding opportunity will be collected, used and disclosed in compliance with the PIPEDA.
CIHR Guidelines for Health Research Involving Aboriginal People
The CIHR Guidelines for Health Research Involving Aboriginal People came into effect as policy for CIHR-funded research on July 1, 2008. Applicants whose proposed research will involve Aboriginal People are strongly encouraged to familiarise themselves with these guidelines and in particular with the section "Application of the Guidelines," which outlines the situations in which these guidelines apply.
Policy on Access to Research Outputs
CIHR believes that greater access to research publications and data will promote the ability of researchers and knowledge users in Canada and abroad to use and build on the knowledge needed to address significant health challenges. Open access will promote accessibility to CIHR-funded research and will serve to increase the international visibility of Canadian research. As of January 1, 2008, CIHR grant recipients are reminded to adhere with the responsibilities outlined in the Policy on Access to Research Outputs. Under this policy, grant recipients must make every effort to ensure that research papers and bio-molecular data generated from CIHR funding are freely accessible online.
Communication Requirements
Grant recipients are required to acknowledge CIHR, its institutes and partners in any communication or publication related to the project. See CIHR General Grants and Awards Policies, Public Communication and Acknowledgement of CIHR's Support for details on CIHR's communication requirements. The contributing institutes / partners will be identified on the Authorization for Funding and decision letter.
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Performance Measurement
CIHR is committed to demonstrating results to Canadians for the money invested in health research. Therefore, processes for monitoring progress and appropriate use of funds, as well as for performance measurement and program evaluation are in place. As a result, funding recipients must:
- contribute to the monitoring, review and evaluation of CIHR's programs, policies and processes by participating in evaluation studies, surveys, workshops, audits and providing data or reports as required for the purpose of collecting information to assess progress and results;
- encourage their associates, trainees and administration to participate in the monitoring, review and evaluation of CIHR's programs, policies and processes as required.
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Review Process and Evaluation
Relevance Review
The CIHR Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health and its partner organizations will provide funding for applications that are relevant to (in alignment with) the objectives and research priority areas described in the Objectives section.
The relevance of proposals will be determined at the Registration stage of the application process. For this process, senior Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory staff (in consultation with the Institute Advisory Board members, as required) and its relevant partners will have access to anonymized project titles and registration documents to conduct relevance review. In the case where a registration on the proposed project is deemed non-relevant to this funding opportunity applicants will be informed as such and notified not to submit a full application within approximately two weeks of the registration deadline.
The following criteria will be used in conducting the relevance review.
- Alignment of the proposed program with the objectives and relevant research areas for this Team Grant Program as described under Objectives above
- Alignment with the priorities of the partners.
Peer Review
A CIHR peer review committee will evaluate the full applications. The committee may be drawn from one of CIHR's pre-existing committees or may be created specifically for this funding opportunity. Committee members are selected based on suggestions from many sources including the institute(s) / portfolio(s) and partner(s), following CIHR's Policy on Confidentiality, Conflict of Interest and Privacy Issues in Peer and Relevance Review (CCIP). For information on CIHR's peer review process in general, see the Peer Review section of CIHR's website.
(Updated: 2009-02-24)
Prior to peer review, the Institute of Aboriginal Peoples’ Health will have access to anonymized project titles and summaries to conduct relevance review.
The following criterion will be used in conducting the relevance review:
Upon completion of peer review, the Institute of Aboriginal Peoples’ Health will receive the ranking list, merit scores (ratings) and recommendations on funding level and award term for the applications that fall in the fundable range and have been determined to be relevant to the specific research areas and objectives of the initiative. The list will be used for funding decision-making purposes and will remain anonymous.
Evaluation Criteria
Peer review will be conducted in accordance with The CIHR Peer Review Process - Policies and Responsibilities of Grants Committee Members, including the standard evaluation criteria described under "Factors in the Assessment" (section 6.2).
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How to Apply
Note: This funding opportunity requires the use of CIHR Web Forms to apply for funding.
Additional instructions that must be followed for this funding opportunity:
(Note: These additional instructions supersede all other policies or guidelines published by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, including, but not limited to, the Grants and Awards Guide, the Memorandum of Understanding, etc.)
- In the Research Funding Program section of the Research Module, select "Strategic Initiative" and enter the title of this funding opportunity.
- (Updated: 2009-02-24) The CIHR Guidelines for Health Research Involving Aboriginal People came into effect as policy for CIHR-funded research on July 1st 2008. The guidelines ask that applicants include with their application a Research Agreement, signed and dated by the appropriate community authority. In situations where obtaining a formal Research Agreement is not necessary or desirable from the community's perspective, applicants should attach a letter of community approval and a short statement of justification explaining why no Research Agreement is included.
- (Updated: 2009-02-24) As outlined in the CIHR Grants and Awards Guide, applicants must inform themselves about any formal review processes that may exist within the community. In communities with local Aboriginal Research Ethics Boards (REB) or other formal means of local Aboriginal research review, applicants should submit their proposals for local approval before submitting to their institutional REBs.
Send the completed registration and application packages by courier to:
RE: "Behavioural, Psychosocial, Social and Environmental Factors Important in Primary and Secondary Prevention of Cardiovascular and Respiratory Diseases
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Room 97, 160 Elgin Street
Address locator: 4809A
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0W9
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Contact Information
For questions on CIHR funding guidelines, how to apply, and the peer review process contact:
Janet Lemoine, PDC
Program Delivery Officer
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Telephone: 613-952-0916
Fax: 613-954-1800
Email: janet.lemoine@cihr-irsc.gc.ca
For questions about this initiative and research objectives contact:
Katherine Gardner
Project Manager, ICRH
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Telephone: 613-941-0086
Fax: 613-954-1800
Email: katherine.gardner@cihr-irsc.gc.ca
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Partner/Collaborator Description
Note: Additional partners/collaborators, including partners/collaborators from industry and the private sector are expected to join this funding initiative over the coming year.
Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is the Government of Canada's agency for health research. CIHR's mission is to create new scientific knowledge and to enable its translation into improved health, more effective health services and products, and a strengthened Canadian health-care system. Composed of 13 Institutes, CIHR provides leadership and support to nearly 12,000 health researchers and trainees across Canada.
CIHR Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health (CIHR-ICRH)
ICRH supports research into the causes, mechanisms, prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, support systems, and palliation for a wide range of conditions associated with the heart, lung, brain (stroke), blood, blood vessels, critical and intensive care, and sleep. The ICRH vision is to achieve international leadership by fostering an environment of openness, excitement, energy, commitment and excellence in highly ethical, partnered initiatives focused on research, research training, and research translation for the circulatory and respiratory sciences and for the betterment of the health of Canadians. In March 2007, following consultations with the ICRH community and Institute Advisory Board, the following new priorities were identified:
- Genetics/biomarkers
- Psychosocial, behavioural, environmental research
- Technology
- Sleep, circadian impact on circulatory/respiratory health, metabolism and obesity
- Injury repair, inflammation mechanisms of chronic disease
- Transplantation, regeneration, stem cells, bioethics
- Aging, changing epidemiology
Partners
CIHR Institute of Aging (CIHR-IA)
IA supports research to promote healthy aging and to address causes, prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, support systems, and palliation for a wide range of conditions associated with aging. IA has identified five priority areas for research on aging and health: aging and maintenance of functional autonomy; biological mechanisms of aging; cognitive impairment in aging; healthy and successful aging; and health services and policy relating to older people.
(Updated: 2009-02-24)
CIHR – Institute of Aboriginal Peoples’ Health (CIHR-IAPH)
CIHR-IAPH supports health research that addresses the special health needs of Aboriginal peoples in Canada, and aims to improve the health of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples through the assertion of Aboriginal understandings of health and by fostering innovative community-based and scientifically excellent research.
The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada (HSFC)
HSFC, a volunteer-based health charity, leads in eliminating heart disease and stroke and reducing their impact through the advancement of research and its application, the promotion of healthy living, and advocacy. For more than 50 years, Canadians have looked to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada to fund research that will reduce their risk of cardio and cerebrovascular disease and improve the quality of their lives.
The HSFC allocates approximately 10% of its annual research investment toward strategic research in areas of mission priority (presently obesity, stroke and resuscitation) through its Federation Research Fund. Through the Federation Research Fund, the HSFC launches strategic requests for applications and partners with other organizations like CIHR to support research in common areas of priority.
In the scope of this RFA, the HSFC is specifically interested in supporting research that examines how the built environment, urban/suburban/rural community planning/design influences health behaviours and health outcomes. The HSFC is also interested in supporting population-level intervention research aimed at advancing knowledge on policy interventions to reduce cardio-cerebrovascular disease risk.
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